1. The Field of the Present Disclosure.
The present disclosure relates generally to trailer hitches, and more particularly, but not necessarily entirely, to adjustable height trailer hitches.
2. Description of Related Art
Trailer hitches are utilized to couple tow vehicles and trailers. In a standard configuration, a trailer hitch may comprise a receiver permanently mounted to the undercarriage of the tow vehicle. A ball mount may include a shank portion configured and adapted to be installed in the receiver. The ball mount may further include a bore for a shaft of a hitch ball. Conventional ball mounts may include a fixed drop portion for providing a height difference between the receiver and the hitch ball. It will be appreciated that the height difference between the hitch ball and the receiver, referred to as drop, may be necessary for safe towing as the trailer should always be as level as possible.
More recently, hitches have been constructed with a variable drop. In particular, the hitches may include a drop bar having a plurality discrete mounting locations for a ball support member. The ball support member may be selectively secured to any one of the plurality of discrete mounting locations using a pin. In some instances, the pin may be manually inserted by a user through a bore in the ball support member that is aligned with a bore in the drop bar. In other instances, the pin may be integrated into the ball support member.
As shown in FIG. 1, a previously available adjustable height trailer hitch 10 includes a shank portion 12. Extending downwardly from the shank portion 12 may be a drop bar 14. A face 16 of the drop bar 14 may include a plurality of pin receiving holes 18. Mounted to the drop bar 14 may be a ball support member 20. The ball support member 20 may include a body member 22 having at least one hitch ball 24 mounted thereto. The body member 22 may include a pair of L-shaped arms 26 that define a slot 28 for receiving the drop bar 14.
The hitch 10 may further include a first locking pin 30 for securing the shank portion 12 in a receiver (not shown) attached to a tow vehicle. The first locking pin 30 may be extended and retracted via a barrel type key inserted into a key cylinder accessible from the face 16 of the drop bar 14. The ball support member 20 may further include a second locking pin 34 (seen in FIG. 2) that extends and retracts to selectively engage one of the plurality of pin receiving locations, such as holes 18. The position of the second locking pin 34 may be extended and retracted via a barrel type key 33 inserted into a key cylinder 36 (seen in FIG. 2) accessible from a side of the ball support member 20.
Referring now to FIG. 2, a cross-sectional view of the ball support member 20 and where like reference numerals depict the same components, the interaction between the second locking pin 34 and the key cylinder 36 is shown in more detail. In particular, the ball support member 20 may include a first bore 40 and a second bore 42. The second locking pin 34 may be disposed in the first bore 40. The key cylinder 36 may be disposed in the second bore 42. Interconnecting the second locking pin 34 and the key cylinder 36 may be an actuating pin 44 having a proximal end 46 and a distal end 48.
The proximal end 46 of the actuating pin 44 may include a slot 50 for engaging a protrusion 52 extending from the key cylinder 36. The distal end 48 of the actuating pin 44 may engage a sidewall 54 of the second locking pin 34 such that rotation of the actuating pin 44 may cause the second locking pin 34 to extend and retract from the ball support member 20. In this regard, a cam assembly may interconnect the distal end 48 of the actuating pin 44 and the sidewall 54 of the second locking pin 34. As known to those of ordinary skill, the cam assembly may translate the rotational motion of the actuating pin 44 into linear motion of the second locking pin 34. The cam assembly may include an eccentric protrusion formed in the distal end 48 of the actuating pin 44 and an eccentric slot formed in the sidewall 54 of the second locking pin 34.
The second locking pin 34 may be secured in the first bore 40 by virtue of the cam assembly. The actuating pin 44 and the key cylinder 36 may be secured in the second bore 42 by a fastener 49 that engages the key cylinder 36. The ball support member 20 may include a bore 60 for receiving a hitch ball. O-rings 62 may be utilized to prevent water and other substances from interfering with the operation of the actuating pin 44 and the locking pin 34. While the hitch 10, shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, has proven successful in the marketplace, improvements are still being sought. For example, it would be an improvement to provide enhanced durability and strength to the components of the hitch 10.
The features and advantages of the present disclosure will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by the practice of the present disclosure without undue experimentation. The features and advantages of the present disclosure may be realized and obtained by means of the instruments and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.